Hardwood floors are easy to clean, more sanitary than carpet, offer an almost infinite array of styles, and outlast all other flooring types.

When should I consider new floors?

You should consider new hardwood floors any time you start thinking about decorating your existing or new house.

What is the relationship between my floors and my home decorating?

The species, color, and floor design will influence many of your decorating choices including trim, cabinetry, and wall coverings.

Should I expect color variations in my hardwood floor?

Yes—wood is a product of nature; therefore, you will see variations from board to board in all categories. No two boards are ever the same.

I moved my area rug and my wood is lighter where my area rug was. What happened?

Wood goes through a natural aging process called patina. Bright sunlight can also accelerate this condition. It is recommended to move, from time to time, area rugs or other items that may cause this effect.

What is the warranty on my new floors?

The minimum warranty is one year on job-site finished floors and up to twenty-five years on select pre-finished floors.

How do I maintain my hardwood floors?

Always use a product that will not leave a wax or oil residue on your floor, as these may cause a problem when you need to refinish your floor. Judiciously utilize door mats and area rugs to reduce the impact of high-traffic areas and outside dirt being tracked in. Also, be conscious of scratching from various sources such as high heels, moving furniture, etc.

What products are recommended for care and maintenance?

We recommend the BONA KEMI line of floor care products, which complement the BONA KEMI floor finishes used by Feil, Inc.

Is solid hardwood the best in all cases?

No. Engineered floors are actually more dimensionally stable in that they move less than solid wood floors, can be used in a wider variety of applications, and are less subject to moisture variations.

Does sanding and finishing a floor take off a lot of wood?

The sanding and finishing process, including all varieties of coarseness of sandpaper, only reduces the thickness by 1/64″.

Do hardwood floors need wax to restore the sheen when they become dull?

Most hardwood floors are now finished with urethane and require no wax. In fact, wax will actually harm the floor by preventing re-coating.

Does the sub floor have to be perfectly level to install a hardwood floor?

No. The sub floor does not have to be level but must be flat for a proper installation. In some case, even an uneven sub floor can be corrected.

Are engineered floors cheaper, less durable, and impossible to re-surface?

That is a myth. Engineered floors are actually made better than their solid floor counterparts. They will shrink 75-90% less and, depending on the manufacturer, have better warranties. Also, re-surfacing can be performed just like solid wood floors.

What rooms are right for wood floors?

You name it! Feil, Inc’s wide variety of products and today’s installation methods open up your entire home to the beautiful possibilities of hardwood flooring. Our engineered wood products are right for any room—below-grade, on-grade, and above-grade. These floors are made of all-wood strips that are precision-engineered together to give them added dimensional stability for use throughout the home. Our solid wood floors are unstained and untainted to let nature’s true color shine through. Because they’re solid wood, these floors are susceptible to the effects of moisture and changes in temperature, making them good choices for rooms on-grade and above-grade.

Isn’t hardwood flooring expensive?

It’s all relative. With proper care and maintenance, a wood floor will last virtually a lifetime—which means you don’t have to replace it unless you grow tired of it . . . which, in our humble opinion, isn’t very likely. Our floors also enhance the value of your home. Homes with hardwood floors tend to command higher selling prices—and they often sell faster. What other floor types can you say that about? Carpet? Vinyl?

Isn’t there a lot of care and maintenance involved with a hardwood floor?

Only if you consider sweeping or vacuuming when needed a lot. You do need to wipe up spills right away. But then, you’d do that with any floor, right? Once in a while, you’ll probably want to go over your floor with an approved hardwood floor cleaner. That’s about it. There are some dos and don’ts you’ll want to pay attention to.

What’s the difference between Solid wood and Engineered wood flooring?

Solid hardwood floors are just that—strips or planks of wood that are solid top to bottom. We don’t stain or tint our solid floors, so the colors nature gave them come shining through. Our engineered hardwood floors, also available in strips and planks, are made by laminating three to five layers of hardwood to one another in a cross-banded manner. The top layer is a premium hardwood. This type of construction gives the flooring the dimensional stability to counteract wood’s natural tendency to contract and expand with changes in temperature and humidity.

What’s the difference between a single strip floor and a multilayer floor?

Both of these flooring types are of the engineered variety, meaning they are both comprised of layers of solid wood, also known as plies that are laminated together for added dimensional stability. Both have a premium hardwood top layer. The main difference between the two is the number of layers. A single strip floor has three layers—a bottom layer, core layer and top or wear layer, which is of the selected species of wood. A multilayer floor can have from five to eight plies in its composition again with a premium hardwood wear layer.

What are square-edge, bevel-edge and eased-edge designs?

These terms describe the edges and ends of a hardwood floor’s boards, AKA the edge profile. The edge profile for you is, basically, a matter of personal taste. Square edges are flush and butt up tight to one another for a seamless look. Bevel- and eased-edges have a slight angle on the top edge of the plank or strip. These edge profiles add a bit more drama and tend to hide minor imperfections where the boards meet. You can also feel these edge profiles as you walk on the floor barefoot. Bottom line, it’s all about your preference.

How do I decide between a Prefinished and an Unfinished hardwood floor?

These days, most floors installed are of the prefinished variety. Our prefinished floors have nine layers of UV-cured Acrylic Urethane, including Aluminum Oxide in both base coats for added wear protection. That means they’re as tough as they come. Plus, our prefinished floors can be installed and enjoyed in the same day. Our unfinished floors are beautiful, too. And, because they are unfinished, you have the flexibility of matching color on site. They do, however, take a bit longer to install and finish and come with more dust and finish fumes.

What is Aluminum Oxide?

Aluminum Oxide is a metallic chemical compound we add to the two base coats of our high-wear UV-cured Acrylic Urethane finish for added durability.

Are hardwood floors a good idea for high traffic areas?

Most definitely. We’ve gone to great lengths to make our UV-cured Acrylic Urethane finishes extra tough—and easy to clean—to help our floors stand up to traffic in the kitchen, bath, doorways, hallways, mud rooms, and so on. You need to consider, though, that hardwood species vary in hardness. The harder the wood, the better it is for high traffic areas. If you’re thinking about hardwood flooring for areas that see lots of heavy use, we would love to discuss the best hardwood for you.

Yes. Over time, wood changes color, typically darkening. Some woods change more than others. This is natural and part of the charm of real wood. The wood is gaining its “patina.” To make sure your hardwood floor ages uniformly—and gracefully—move your furniture, area rugs and mats around from time to time.

How do I decide which installation method is right for my floor?

This depends on the type of floor you want, where you want it, and the type of sub floor it will be installed on. The basic installation methods are nail-down, stapled, glue-down and “floating,” (installation without nails, staples or glue). We would be happy to discuss the right method for you.

Can I install a hardwood floor myself?

It is possible, however, hardwood floor installation is a skilled trade that requires talented hands to produce the best possible results. Feil, Inc. use highly skilled craftsmen to install our floors day in and day out. They not only do it right, but they know how to avoid the headaches and hassles even the handiest of homeowners can run into. Best bet—if you really want to DIY, talk to Feil, Inc. and see if you think the added cost for our crew to install your floor is worth it.

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